By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
The Palm Theater is sold at Shirokiya.
Honey, they shrunk the DVD player! Mini-movie player
packs a mighty punchOn the coolness scale, Panasonic's Palm Theater -- the world's first portable digital video disc player -- is the coolest techno toy of the moment; an eye catcher and conversation starter big time.
But the opportunity to watch flawless digital movies while on the go doesn't come cheap. Suggested retail price of the DVD-L10D: $1,299.95.
The L10D has a 5.8-inch flip-up LCD screen, two-hour battery, battery charger, AC adapter and remote. A car adapter will soon be available for those who can't stand to be without entertainment anywhere. Extra batteries are $180. The player is not much larger than the disc it plays and weighs less than 2 pounds, but with the battery pack attached its heft nearly doubles.
The L10D employs Virtual Dolby surround- sound circuitry that simulates a five-speaker home-theater setup. A separate Dolby Digital decoder is required, however, if you want to use the portable DVD player as the centerpiece of a true home-theater configuration. As it is, the L10D can be hooked up to a television.
The L10 easily passed one for ease of use. Without reading the directions, it was as simple to get a movie playing as it was to load an audio CD. All the L10D's functions appear on the screen; and play, stop and fast-forward buttons are accessible on the front panel.
A DVD disc is similar in size to an audio CD, yet can store vast amounts of video, music and information. A laser reads microscopic pits on the disc and translates them into music, video or information.
DVDs deliver startling clarity and detail, thanks to the nearly 500 lines of horizontal resolution -- more than twice that of standard VHS tapes. In addition, movies can be presented in up to eight languages or with subtitles in up to 32 languages.
And because DVD uses a laser pick-up system, nothing touches the discs, so they don't wear out. Discs don't have to be rewound, which makes them even more durable.
DVD movies cost about $20, or can be rented for about $3.25 at Diamond Head Video in Honolulu or Kailua.
Tim Ryan, Star-Bulletin
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